Monday, May 15, 2017

PCG Produces More McCarthyite Red Baiting

A generation ago the peoples of eastern Europe overthrew the Communist regimes of eastern Europe and the Soviet Union (which was dissolved) and China embraced a market economy and PCG's resident McCarthyite, Andrew Müller, is still trying to make PCG's followers scared of Communists, a numerically small political group in the United States, in an unreasonable way. This may be seen in a recent article (Andrew Müller, California Mulls Allowing Communists in State Government, May 11, 2017).

Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) introduced a bill into the California State Assembly last December; a bill that that would remove the ban on Communist Party members working in state government positions. Banta argued that California law should not focus on “empty labels” and political affiliations, but should focus on an individual’s actions. He calls this legislation a “cleanup bill that removes archaic and outdated references to the Communist Party in our state laws, specifically those stating that a public employee may be dismissed from employment if he or she advocates or is knowingly a member of the Communist Party.” ...

Whether this bill successfully passes the California Senate is a moot point. The fact that politics is at a point where Communists may soon run for office isn’t tremendously significant. It is the fact that American culture has come to a point were those believing in Marxism are considered electorally viable that is terrifying.

Maybe Andrew Müller should run for office himself or work against such candidates if he is so terrified. However PCG and many other COGs forbid their members from running for political office.

He insists that social science professors are more inclined to identify themselves as Marxist, thuds condemning education institutions.

According to a 2006 survey, 3 percent of American university professors self-identify as Marxists. This figure rises to 5 percent of humanities professors and 18 percent of social science professors. This survey found that a social science professor was three times more likely to be a self-avowed Marxist than a conservative.

He then cites WorldNetDaily (March 3, 2011) and Townhall.com (April 11, 2012) to use the Communist Party USA to slur other American leftists such as the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

The Communist Party USA endorsed both Obama presidential campaigns and has referred to the members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus as ideological allies. The Congressional Progressive Caucus, which was founded by the Democratic Socialists of America, now encompasses 14 percent of Congress. It is increasingly evident that Marxism is not dead. It is alive and well in American universities and spreading into other areas of society.

This is classic McCarthyite red baiting. It was the practice during the era of McCarthyism to use any connection with the Communist Party to slur unwanted voices. The Congressional Progressive Caucus is not the Communist Party USA but Müller links them together to make his audience fearful and not listen to them.

He scare mongers that the Congressional Progressive Caucus has 14% of Congress ignoring the fact that the Republicans have a majority in Congress.

At the end he reveals that he is not just focused on Communists in California as the article's title would suggest.

Today, the 1960s New Left student radicals are the leaders of the modern Democratic Party—and we’re not only talking about fringe politicians in California. These radical leaders are now shifting their party even further left to gain the support of the millennials—a demographic that leans overwhelmingly Democrat and even socialist. This type of strategy can only lead to civil unrest and violent revolution.

One moment Müller is complaining about Communists in California being allowed to pursue state employment, next moment he condemns "the leaders of the modern Democratic Party" as "radical leaders" thus showing that this McCarthyite scare mongering of Communists is actually an attack against the left in general including "the leaders of the modern Democratic Party". The Communists are used to slur the left in general.

The spirit of McCarthyism is alive and well in PCG's headquarters. No good can come from this.

If You are new please read this

Hand in Hand for Syria

Keep Somalia's Remittances Open

I encourage readers to sign this petition from Oxfam calling upon the U.S. government to let the Somali diaspora continue to send remittance to their loved ones in Somalia.

Moves have been made to shut down such remittances from Somalis in America. Many Somalis need these remittances. The remittances to Somalia are larger than foreign aid contributions and are a lifeline to these people caught in trouble and turmoil.

It is true that HWA said that some Eastern European states would break away from Moscow's orbit and join the European Empire he said would arise at any moment. But he never talked of the Soviet Union collapsing. He did not teach that. Also he portrayed the rise of the European Empire to be far quicker then what has actually happened. In Mystery of the Ages Christ was supposed to return by 2005 at the most.

So assertions that the fall of the Berlin Wall somehow prove that HWA was right is just complete nonsense spread by people who, for whatever reason, are still in denial that HWA was a false prophet who merely talked out of his own "human reasoning".

Truth about Roderick C. Meredith

What sort of man is he? A man who could say things like this.

"Mr. Armstrong has reminded us again that we are to disfellowship any members who attend GTA's [Garner Ted Armstrong's] campaigns, church services or other meetings. Some of our weaker members apparently do not realize that this man is in direct rebellion against God and His government! We must not allow them, or ourselves, to rationalize about this matter, to try to "help the underdog," or in any other way lend support to one whose gross immorality, whose long standing "play acting" and hypocrisy, and whose direct insubordination to the Government of God has long been and is now a source of confusion and DIVISION among God's people. So, as per Mr. Armstrong's instruction, I charge and exhort every one of you faithful ministers of the living Christ to explain this in no uncertain terms to your members, to warn them about this cause of division and then to disfellowship any who consort with GTA or any of his fellows." (Roderick C. Meredith, Pastor's Report, May 21, 1979, pp. 1-2.)

David Robinson on Roderick C. Meredith

"During the ten years I have been an employee of the Worldwide Church, you have been poorly spoken of by most of the ministers and employees I have known. I vividly remember the absolute unbounded glee that was openly expressed by a good number of respected men in the church when you were first "shanghaied." [In 1972.] I could begin by naming names, which I am sure would shock you. I was one of the few who stood, where possible, for you. Your tenure as superintendent of ministers, as I believe the office was then called, was looked on as nightmarish. While you held office during the years of growth, most of those whom I know gave you very little credit for that growth. Almost everyone whom I know, whether they be former friends of yours, or continuing foes, recalls insensitive and terrible things you have done. Without exception, at least among my acquaintances, they all credit you with an unbridled lust for power and list you as one who is willing to pay the price of gaining that power, no matter what. I have, through many of the last few years, believed you had principles you would not violate. Many a man of experience in the church assured me of my error. Events have proven me wrong and them right. Mr. Armstrong has himself been widely quoted as saying of you that you were so righteous that you were so "righteous you were unrighteous." " (David Robinson, Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web, Chapter 16, p. 207.)

Of course it is impossible for me to personally verify these assertions but people deserve to know what this knowledgeable man had to say about him.